Poetry Pea - haiku and other English Language Japanese short forms

In this episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, we continue our exploration of lyrical poetry with a journey into the work of the Japanese haiku masters. From Bashō and Buson to Issa and Shiki, and their contemporaries, we listen to classic haiku in translation and consider how sound, rhythm and imagery carry emotional resonance across centuries.
Following last week’s episode on the eighteenth-century female poet, Chyio-ni, today we turn to the male masters and their friends and contemporaries. These poems span stillness, seasonal awareness, humour, melancholy and the fleeting beauty at the heart of haiku. Expect frogs, evening breezes, cherry blossom, mountain mist and the famous old pond — along with the rarely heard response verse from its original renku.
All poems are read in English translation, allowing the musicality and lyricism of classical Japanese haiku to shine through for modern listeners. If you love haiku, Japanese poetry, short-form poetry, or want inspiration for your own writing, this episode offers a rich selection from some of the greatest poets in the tradition.
Don’t forget to add your poem to this month’s Poetry Pea video prompt in the comments on the channel, and support the podcast if you can.
Links to the poems mentioned are in the show notes.

In this episode of Poetry Pea, I explore the haiku of Chiyo-ni, the 18th-century Japanese poet and Buddhist nun whose lyrical voice is often overlooked when we talk about the great haiku masters. While Bashō, Buson, Shiki and Issa are regularly discussed, Chiyo-ni’s work often takes a back seat.

Prompted by recent conversations about the perceived lack of lyrical poetry in modern haiku, I look at what “lyrical” might mean in the context of haiku. For me, lyrical poetry creates an emotional connection without sentimentality, often supported by musicality, rhythm and the spoken quality of the words. Through a selection of Chiyo-ni’s poems, presented in English translation, I explore how her work achieves this balance with delicacy and restraint.

You’ll hear a range of Chiyo-ni’s haiku, including the well-known morning glory poem, alongside lesser-known pieces that reveal her attentiveness to nature, human feeling and fleeting moments. I also discuss the challenges of translation and how different versions of the same poem can alter tone, rhythm and emotional impact.

I’m also inviting you to take part:
• What does “lyrical” mean to you in haiku?
• Do you think lyrical poetry is missing from contemporary English-language haiku?
• Send me your favourite lyrical haiku (with citations) for possible inclusion in a future episode.
If you enjoy the podcast, please consider supporting Poetry Pea with a membership, a coffee, or sharing it with your poetry friends.
You can also join the mailing list to stay updated with future episodes.
Show notes

In this special Poetry Pea episode, we celebrate impending close of our haibun submissions period with a curated selection of haibun readings. New to haibun? Don’t worry — helpful links in the show notes will guide you through this beautifully blended form of prose and haiku.
All the pieces in this episode share something in common… but will you spot what it is?
Answers in the shownotes.
We also thank Johnny Moran for editing March’s video prompt and welcome Lakshmi Iyer, our guest editor for April. Be sure to submit your poems in the comments under the latest Poetry Pea YouTube video so they can be considered.
Plus, there’s exciting news coming soon from Poetry Pea — and an opportunity you won’t want to miss. To make sure you hear about it, join the Poetry Pea membership via Buy Me a Coffee and sign up for the Poetry Pea mailing list.
Pop in your earbuds and enjoy a thoughtful feast of haibun poetry.

Poets included:
 
If Wishes Were Horses
Reid Hepworth, DSH issue 29 September 2024
The Wailers
Bisshie, Cattails 2025
A loneliness business, and yet . . .
Chen-ou Li, Contemporary Haibun Online April 2026
Invisible Web
Simon Wilson, Cattails, October 2025
Memento
Neena Singh, Cattails, October 2025
Multiverse
Melissa Dennison, Drifting Sands Haibun, Issue 34, Dec 25
The Far Shore
Sandip Chauhan, haikuKATHA, Issue 43, May 2025
Grandpa Carr’s Kohlrabi
Nicky Gutierrez, Tendrils Haibun Journal, 2024
Mauerspechte
Bisshie, Wales Haiku Journal,Winter 25/26
Rain
Robert Witmer Tokyo, Japan, Drifiting Sands Haibun, issue 34, Dec 2025
Iterations
David J Kelly, Tendrils Haibun Journal, 2024
The Soles of my Feet
Gerry Jacobson, Kokako, Issue 42, March 23, 2025
Tides
Jill Muhrer, Tendrils Haibun Journal, 2025

Step into a listening space shaped by small poems and quiet attention.
This weekly podcast brings together contemporary haiku from voices around the world. Each of our episodes features carefully selected poems, and thoughtful readings.
From murmuration skies to winter dusk, from the hush of birdsong to the swell of the everyday, we explore the moments that might otherwise pass unnoticed — and give them room to resonate.
✨ How to take part:
Respond to our video prompts on YouTube, submit your haibun via our website, and join a growing international community of poets and listeners.
🎧 New episodes released weekly.
Subscribe, listen, and let the words take flight.

Settle in for another episode of the Poetry Pea Podcast, where this time there’s no set theme—yes, maybe it 's a bit trickier for you… but as they say, if it were easy, it wouldn’t be worth doing.
In this episode, you’ll hear a wonderful selection of contemporary haiku and senryu , all submitted without the safety net of a prompt. Our judges—one familiar voice and two brand-new to the podcast—have read the poems anonymously and selected their nominations, decided on a Judges’ Choice and Honourable Mention. You’ll hear their thoughts during the show, with the final results revealed soon in the Poetry Pea Journal.
We also share a few notices from Pea Towers, including details of upcoming submissions for our annual haibun journal, Tendrils, and how you can nominate poems for the Golden Pea Award anthology.
Whether you’re an experienced poet or just discovering English language shortforms there’s something here for you.
Subscribe, join our mailing list, and consider supporting the podcast to help keep the poetry flowing.
And as always—keep writing.
Episode notes